Defining leadership in Canadian public administration: an analysis of federal, provincial and territorial frameworks and models

Purpose This article aims to examine leadership frameworks, models and related texts across Canadian federal, provincial and territorial governments to identify how leadership is formally defined, structured and differentiated within the public service. It addresses a gap in the Canadian literature, which has focused largely on the federal context, and responds to concerns about the limited contextual grounding of public sector leadership development. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a qualitative, document-based design. Publicly available leadership frameworks, competency models and related texts were identified through targeted internet searches of government websites and analyzed thematically and interpretively. Findings The analysis finds both substantial convergence and meaningful differentiation. Across jurisdictions, leadership is commonly framed in relation to strategy, relationships, public service values, change and results. At the same time, frameworks and texts differ in structure, emphasis and degree of elaboration, with some using broad values-based pillars and others more detailed competency architectures. Practical implications The article provides a cross-jurisdictional snapshot that may assist practitioners developing or revising leadership models. Originality/value The article extends the Canadian public service leadership literature beyond its usual federal focus by bringing provincial and territorial leadership texts into a single analysis.